The Golf Thread | Page 37 | Vital Football

The Golf Thread

I need some advice from the golf gurus of Vital Villa.

I bought some second hand 2017 Taylormade M2s around 18 months ago. They are regular flex but I need a stronger shaft.

I could sell them for around the same price I paid for them and get something newer with stiff flex shafts or I could buy some second hand shafts and probably sell the current shafts for around the same price as the shafts will cost.

I've gone from 29 handicap to 23 handicap in the last 6 months so I'm thinking of getting some players distance irons to grow into instead of the game improvement irons I'm using now.

Any advice?
 
I don't know but I'd have thought re-shafting a set of clubs would be quite pricey. Have you checked?

Also, I'm 21 handicap and play with blades so what do I know! :D

That said, I hit them better than my game improvement irons and I enjoy playing with them more. I like the feel and the look. There are undoubtedly better ones for me out there but I'm happy with what I've got. My swing is the weak link!
 
buggyvillan said:
I don't know but I'd have thought re-shafting a set of clubs would be quite pricey. Have you checked?

Also, I'm 21 handicap and play with blades so what do I know! :D

That said, I hit them better than my game improvement irons and I enjoy playing with them more. I like the feel and the look. There are undoubtedly better ones for me out there but I'm happy with what I've got. My swing is the weak link!
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Buying new shafts would be expensive but I think I can get some second hand ones cheap and sell my current shafts for around the same price. I can get a fitter to change them over for pretty cheap.

Why are you playing with blades? Aren't they difficult to hit?
 
I don't find them any more difficult than the other clubs I've tried.

Science says they won't go as far or be as forgiving as other clubs but I don't think any club could fix the hit/miss rate with my swing. When I hit a bad one I don't think there's going to be much a club can do about it. Blades don't mask a lot though.

The thing with my current clubs, and it's something that is not particularly tied to them being blades, is the weight balance down the length of the club.

My game improvements had the feel of a lump hammer - the weight being at the club head end and the shaft feeling generally light. When you swing them they are more like a pendulum, if that makes sense.

With my blades they feel like the weight is distributed evenly down the whole length of the club, that the head end isn't much heavier than the grip end - more like a cane than a hammer.

I prefer how that feels but can also appreciate that it may not necessarily be the ideal setup for me performance-wise.
 
buggyvillan said:
I don't find them any more difficult than the other clubs I've tried.

Science says they won't go as far or be as forgiving as other clubs but I don't think any club could fix the hit/miss rate with my swing. When I hit a bad one I don't think there's going to be much a club can do about it. Blades don't mask a lot though.

The thing with my current clubs, and it's something that is not particularly tied to them being blades, is the weight balance down the length of the club.

My game improvements had the feel of a lump hammer - the weight being at the club head end and the shaft feeling generally light. When you swing them they are more like a pendulum, if that makes sense.

With my blades they feel like the weight is distributed evenly down the whole length of the club, that the head end isn't much heavier than the grip end - more like a cane than a hammer.

I prefer how that feels but can also appreciate that it may not necessarily be the ideal setup for me performance-wise.
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That sounds like it might be an issue with the shaft flex or weight rather than the clubs head. I had a regular flex driver that was like that. I felt the club was erratic but blamed myself and my technique. When I switched it over to a stiffer shaft, it became much more stable and easier to hit well.

I found some copper finished Cobra Forged Tec irons that I really fancy but they are regular flex too. Choices, choices.
 
BodyButter said:
That sounds like it might be an issue with the shaft flex or weight rather than the clubs head. I had a regular flex driver that was like that. I felt the club was erratic but blamed myself and my technique. When I switched it over to a stiffer shaft, it became much more stable and easier to hit well.

I found some copper finished Cobra Forged Tec irons that I really fancy but they are regular flex too. Choices, choices.
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You can never tell until you've got them in your hands!
 
Not a happy camper at all today. I parred the first hole and parred the last 3 in a row and still couldn't break 100.

I played like shit and kept hooking my shots. No idea why. I'll be taking myself down to the driving range tomorrow for some punishment.
 
BodyButter said:
Not a happy camper at all today. I parred the first hole and parred the last 3 in a row and still couldn't break 100.

I played like shit and kept hooking my shots. No idea why. I'll be taking myself down to the driving range tomorrow for some punishment.
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I'm playing so badly this year I'm not even scoring my rounds.

Trying to get the fitness back up and put a swing together. It's been improving over the last couple of rounds but still way off where it ought to be.

Four pars for you though - I'd be taking that as a positive.
 
buggyvillan said:
I'm playing so badly this year I'm not even scoring my rounds.

Trying to get the fitness back up and put a swing together. It's been improving over the last couple of rounds but still way off where it ought to be.

Four pars for you though - I'd be taking that as a positive.
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4 pars is decent for me but it could have been so much better. I couldn't break 100 because all of my shots were hooking left. The distance was good but every approach shot was left of the green. My putting and chipping was decent which prevented the score from being embarrassing.

I've got lots of work to do.
 
Can't remember when i last played . I won't play in these arctic conditions and our course keeping putting temp greens on which is a bit over cautious . The greens committee think they are running Turnberry sometimes
 
Silhillvilla said:
Can't remember when i last played . I won't play in these arctic conditions and our course keeping putting temp greens on which is a bit over cautious . The greens committee think they are running Turnberry sometimes
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I swapped courses last summer and the greens / tees are on temps a lot less than my old club.

That said, the course has been closed a couple of days over the last few months but the rain has been pretty bad at times.
 
what really annoyed me 2 weeks ago, they opened all the main greens on the Saturday (as some of the committee were playing), then despite the weather improving by the Sunday it was back on temp greens which infuriated me so i rang the hon secretary and complained
 
Silhillvilla said:
what really annoyed me 2 weeks ago, they opened all the main greens on the Saturday (as some of the committee were playing), then despite the weather improving by the Sunday it was back on temp greens which infuriated me so i rang the hon secretary and complained
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Yes. It's either fit for use or not. Shouldn't be for select groups.
 
I think the PGA has made a huge strategic error trying to go toe-to-toe with LIV on prize money. The latest announcement about the top 36 players getting lots of free money just makes the PGA the poor man's LIV.

Nobody dreams of winning The Masters because of the prize money. Nobody dreams of winning the British Open because of the prize money. I know these guys are professionals and need to make money but the old prize money was sufficient to make them rich from playing golf, if they could win enough.

Now the PGA has turned the whole thing into a financial dick measuring contest against the Saudis. Those guys outside of the top 36 are going to feel shafted by the PGA.

The PGA had a huge competitive advantage over LIV and just gave it away.
 
BodyButter said:
I think the PGA has made a huge strategic error trying to go toe-to-toe with LIV on prize money. The latest announcement about the top 36 players getting lots of free money just makes the PGA the poor man's LIV.

Nobody dreams of winning The Masters because of the prize money. Nobody dreams of winning the British Open because of the prize money. I know these guys are professionals and need to make money but the old prize money was sufficient to make them rich from playing golf, if they could win enough.

Now the PGA has turned the whole thing into a financial dick measuring contest against the Saudis. Those guys outside of the top 36 are going to feel shafted by the PGA.

The PGA had a huge competitive advantage over LIV and just gave it away.
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I think they could have done more of a halfway house and had a lower 'flat rate' participation fee for those that play and leave the rest on prizes that you have to compete for.

This would help the new / lower level players that need money to establish themselves in the sport and still leave the competitive side there.

I agree that trying to do the cheap man's LIV is a bad idea.
 
BodyButter said:
What is a temporary green?
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When the green is out of action due to weather (e.g. flooding), or maintenance/repair they instead use a temporary green.

This is basically an area on the fairway near the real green that has been rolled flat and maintained for this purpose. The cup used for the hole is larger than normal as these 'greens' are anything but a green and you need a bigger target to aim at - not the same construction, grass, etc. - just flattened fairway that's been trimmed a bit.

When we play on them we count anything landing within 2 yards of the hole as a putt and anything within about 5 yards as a 2 putt. There's not much to be had by trying to actually putt out.

It also usually shortens the length of the hole, being on the fairway.

The club I'm at now uses them a lot less than my old club and they do try and prepare them a little better. Probably played on temps about 4-5 times since June but sometimes it's only been 1 hole out of the 18 (e.g. when having new drainage system fitted).
 
buggyvillan said:
When the green is out of action due to weather (e.g. flooding), or maintenance/repair they instead use a temporary green.

This is basically an area on the fairway near the real green that has been rolled flat and maintained for this purpose. The cup used for the hole is larger than normal as these 'greens' are anything but a green and you need a bigger target to aim at - not the same construction, grass, etc. - just flattened fairway that's been trimmed a bit.

When we play on them we count anything landing within 2 yards of the hole as a putt and anything within about 5 yards as a 2 putt. There's not much to be had by trying to actually putt out.

It also usually shortens the length of the hole, being on the fairway.

The club I'm at now uses them a lot less than my old club and they do try and prepare them a little better. Probably played on temps about 4-5 times since June but sometimes it's only been 1 hole out of the 18 (e.g. when having new drainage system fitted).
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I've never come across that before. Certain times of the year here are wetter than others. A few of the courses with bad drainage can be unplayable in the wet season (balls plugging on the fairway, etc). That's about as bad as it gets. It's also roasting all year round. You kinda get used to that.
 
9 holes this morning on a course owned by the Malaysian Police.

They say it's a nightmare when it's wet but it's been dry for a few weeks so it was okay today.

It has the longest par 5 in Malaysia at 615m. I was delighted to escape that one with a double bogey. I thought I was in big trouble when I topped my 5 wood on shot 3 and had to take a drop out of the drain.
 
That is indeed a long hole. It's a shame you had to take a drop.

I find the long par 3s toughest - the ones when you can't GIR because it's just too far. Having to hope for a couple of good shots then a 1 putt is a combo I can't do often.
 
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